Zoar is a place of refuge. At least that is how it is described in Genesis; Lot fled there from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. But our namesake lake of that biblical place hasn't been that much of refuge for the people of Newtown who don'
Zoar is a place of refuge. At least that is how it is described in Genesis; Lot fled there from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. But our namesake lake of that biblical place hasnât been that much of refuge for the people of Newtown who donât happen to own lakeside properties. Newtown now has an opportunity to change that.
Lake Zoar defines the scalloped eastern edge of our town, offering tantalizing recreational possibilities that have long been enjoyed by the Town of Southbury across the water. Except for the rough and remote trails of the Paugussett State Forest, Newtown citizens have been cut off from access to this recreational resource. On March 9 at 7:30 pm, a special town meeting at the Newtown Middle School auditorium will ask townspeople to authorize various bonding initiatives and the appropriation of $2 million for the acquisition of two tracts on Lake Zoar: 10.5 acres at Eichlerâs Cove, and 17.6 acres off Laurel Trail just north of the Rochambeau Bridge.
Also on the agenda is another resolution authorizing $10 million in bonding that would cover the cost of the $2 million in land purchases on Lake Zoar and other opportunities for open space acquisition over the next decade. Both resolutions deserve voter support.
These initiatives have been examined from every perspective by the Board of Selectmen, the Board of Finance, the Legislative Council, and the Planning and Zoning Commission, and each in its turn has given its blessing.
From a financial perspective, these and possible future open space acquisitions hold the promise of stabilizing annual surges in tax rates by removing open land from the reach of school-filling, road-producing, service-demanding residential development.
From a land use perspective, they preserve the quality and character of Newtown by protecting natural resources and scenic views of open land and forested landscapes â an important objective of the townâs Plan of Conservation and Development.
From a political perspective, they offer all Newtown residents a future for their town that still retains qualities of the past that led us to find refuge here in the first place.